South-East Wales already has most of the sporting infrastructure needed to host the Commonwealth Games says Sion Barry

Hosting the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow has a bill approaching £600m, but we are not talking about the financial drain of the 1976 Olympics that almost left the Canadian city of Montreal bankrupt.

And whatever the amount it would not all have to come from the capital and revenue budgets of the Welsh Government and local authorities in Wales – regardless of the fact we should have far fewer unitary authorities in the years ahead.

It would need a public-private partnership at its heart with an innovative fund raising team which would be tasked with bringing in additional finance.

This could come from various EU funding pots (and there are billions of pounds there), the UK Government and the private sector – including high net worth individuals who are Welsh or who have Welsh connection living overseas.

There is plenty of money out there... we just need to be smart to get as much of it as possible.

What would be the return on investment?

Firstly in terms of positioning Wales as a progressive country that wants to be seen as outward reaching to the world, delivering the games would be a hugely positive statement.

It would also have a direct impact of driving up tourism visitors to Wales, both from other parts of the UK and overseas.

It would also drive up recognition levels of Wales and would be a great opportunity to promote the country and its businesses in key markets such as India and in the Far East.

As well as the feel good factor of hosting the games, it would also provide further impetus to increasing sporting participation levels This could even mean inspiring more of us to leave the car at home more and walk more often.

It wouldn’t have to be financed in one financial year. It would be spread from the time Wales was successful in any bid – which should be around 2019 onwards. There would of course need investment before that in ensuring that Wales puts a compiling sporting and business case together to host the games.

Nobody would be expecting a Beijing Olympics money is no objective games, but, like Glasgow, a welcoming games with a distinctive Welsh flavour underpinned with all the modern sporting infrastructure expected.

The Welsh Government could use its new borrowing powers to finance some of the infrastructure projects – which no doubt will have to be increased beyond the current £500m ceiling – like the construction of the competitors’ village. After the games it could be sold on to a housing developer to recover costs; or better still financed solely by the private sector or housing associations.

There are of course the naysayers who will say ‘Wales is too small and we cannot afford it’.

Yes, there are huge public sector funding issues like a health service with people living longer. But let’s give Wales something inspiring to live for.

And it’s not as if Wales’s doesn’t have international standard sporting infrastructure already.

The Millennium Stadium could be re-configured into a fantastic athletics stadium, as was the case with Hampden Park in Glasgow.

Its exhibition area could accommodate 5,000 spectators for events such as boxing, table tennis, squash etc.

And the Celtic Manor would be the perfect location for shooting events.

Cardiff would need a new indoor arena, but this is already on the radar of Cardiff council. This could be built in partnership with the private sector, with the local authority providing a guarantee on future revenue levels needed to finance construction costs.

Use could also be made of the Cardiff City Stadium and the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, and I am sure Rodney Parade in Newport could be used for some sporting events.

Cycling events could take to the roads and the breathtaking scenery of Monmouthshire, the Valleys and the Brecon Beacons – or why not further west?

It will be vital for buy-in that any games are not seen as just as a ‘Cardiff event” but one that embraces and reaches as many parts of Wales as possible.

However, Cardiff and the wider Cardiff Capital City Region would have be their focal point.

The transport infrastructure should be much improved by then, with an integrated bus and tram/train Metro network across South-East Wales and the M4 Relief Road.

Electrification of the Great Western Mainline from Paddington Swansea would also be completed, as well as a spur from Reading to Heathrow Airport.

We have the hotel infrastructure to accommodate the thousands of visitors that will come into Wales – but also can work with Bristol to utilise its hotel offer.

Cardiff Airport by then will have more routes – including hopefully a Middle Eastern airline which would allow many of the teams to fly into Wales for the games.

So let’s go for and I am sure, like in Glasgow, the Wales Games of 2026 would be described in the closing ceremony, as the best ever.

WalesOnline is part of Media Wales, publisher of the Western Mail, South Wales Echo, Wales on Sunday and the seven Celtic weekly titles, offering you unique access to our audience across Wales online and in print.